19.5% increase in workplace absences as UK employees ‘extend the weekend’ to enjoy sunny February

Employees turning up to work is a vital part of any business functioning properly, however, whilst most of us will be disappointed to not be enjoying the irregularly warm February weather. HR software provider, BrightHR can reveal they saw a 19.5% increase in absences logged in their system on Monday and Tuesday (25th and 26th of February) compared to this time last year.

This comes after England, Scotland and Wales all experienced their hottest days in February on record, with the temperature rising to 20.1C in south-west London.

The city with the highest number of staff being recorded as absent on Monday the 25th and Tuesday the 26th was Aberdeen, which saw temperatures hit highs of 17C and were close to the highest temperature of a 120-year record in Scotland, at 18.3C recording in Aboyne.

The city with the lowest number of staff being recorded as absent was surprisingly, Brighton as workers weren’t tempted by the pull of the warm weather and the beach to avoid work.

Alistair Brown, Chief Technical Officer at BrightHR said:

“At BrightHR, we advise employers that prevention is the best tactic when it comes to reducing employee absences.”

“Employers should ensure they have implemented an up-to-date policy, regarding employee conduct and a procedure for notifying someone when an employee is going to be absent.”

“Employees should ensure they give management enough notice when making holiday requests so it’s not a last minute decision that can land businesses with not enough employees to function properly.”

“However, honesty is the best policy when it comes to employees reporting absences during the warm weather, as lying will reduce trust within the business.”